Royal Challengers Bangalore got a boost to their playoff chances with a 112-run win against Rajasthan Royals, who suffered an inexplicable batting collapse in their Indian Premier League match here today. Chasing a target of 172, hosts Royals suffered a stunning collapse to be bundled out for just 59 in 10.3 overs, with only Shimron Hetmyer (35 off 19 balls) and Joe Root (10 off 15 balls) scoring in double-digit figures. It is the third lowest total in the IPL history. It was RR’s second lowest total as they just about managed to go past their lowest of 58 against the same opponents in 2009. Rajasthan failed to put up a fight as their batters kept on playing attacking shots when the situation demanded a partnership on a slow and tricky wicket. RCB’s bowlers exploited the lack of application from the RR batters. Wayne Parnell was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 10 runs from his three overs. Michael Bracewell and Karn Sharma took two wickets each, while Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell got one each. With the win, RCB jumped to the fifth spot with 12 points from 12 matches, while RR moved down to sixth with 12 points from 13 matches. RCB also managed to get a healthy bump in the run rate. Royals lost five wickets for 25 runs in the powerplay, with Parnell taking two, including that of Jos Buttler (0) and captain Sanju Samson (4). But it was Siraj who had opened the floodgates by getting the wicket of in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal (0). It was a rare instance as both the RR openers got out for ducks. Earlier, captain Faf du Plessis and Maxwell struck half-centuries to help RCB post a challenging 171/5 after opting to bat. Du Plessis (55 off 44 balls) and Maxwell (54 off 33 balls) continued their strong form on a slower pitch. Anuj Rawat hit 29 not out off just 11 balls late in the innings as RCB added 51 runs in the last five overs. Australian spinner Adam Zampa (2/25) and pacer KM Asif (2/42) were the most successful Royals bowlers while Sandeep Sharma got one wicket. Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore: 171/5 (du Plessis 55, Maxwell 54; Zampa 2/25); Rajasthan Royals: 59 all out in 10.3 overs (Hetmyer 35; Parnell 3/10, Bracewell 2/16).
